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Randy Brecker, Duane Trucks and More Join The Allman Brothers Band

Photos by Dino Perrucci

The Allman Brothers Band’s residency at New York’s Beacon Theatre continued last night. Much like the first show of the group’s extended run, the evening featured a number of rare selections. During The Allman Brothers Band’s first set, Warren Haynes sang lead on a seldom performed cover of Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding track “Down Along the Cove.” Duane Allman actually recorded a version of the Dylan original at FAME studios for his unreleased solo album, and The Allman Brothers Band busted out the number at the Beacon last year. Later in the set, the group moved into one of their newest songs, the instrumental “Bag End,” and then brought out the run’s first guest, A.J. Ghent, to play lap steel on a set-closing “One Way Out.” Ghent is in New York for a series of performances as a member of drummer Duane Trucks’ new project Flannel Church.

As they will every night this run, the members of The Allman Brothers Band opened their second set with a brief acoustic segment. Haynes and Derek Trucks kicked things off with a duo version of “Old Friend.” The Haynes/Chris Anderson original has not appeared during an Allman Brothers Band show since 2005. Gregg Allman, Oteil Burbridge and Marc Quiñones then joined the guitarists onstage for acoustic takes on “Dark End of the Street” and “Done Somebody Wrong.” Though “Dark End of the Street” is a new addition to the ABB live repertoire, Gregg Allman recorded the song for his 1997 album Searching for Simplicity. Like the previous night, Burbridge also showed off his banjo skills during the segment.

The Brothers then plugged in for the rest of their set, which came to a close with marathon versions of “Dreams” and “Mountain Jam.” Both selections featured noted jazz trumpeter and former Blood, Sweat & Tears member Randy Brecker. The evening’s guests returned at the end of the show with Duane Trucks for the lone encore of “Southbound.” Derek Trucks then made his way over to New York’s Brooklyn Bowl to sit in with Soulive.